Security VP shares inspiring insight as WBW guest speaker

Speaking as a special guest at an ICC World Business Women luncheon this month, Matthew Drew, Vice-President of Global Security Operations at Hewlett Packard (HP) International, explained how his team contributes to the initiative.

Mr Drew explained what had drawn him to become an active participant in HP’s own women’s network. He began by outlining the simple management ethos of HP, known today as the “HP Way”, and how the founding principles of the organization were as relevant today as they were 75 years ago when William Hewlett and Dave Packard wrote them on the wall of a garden shed in Silicon Valley where the company was born.

Mr Drew underscored the importance of the values in building engagement and loyalty within the company and said: “The creation of the women’s networks within the organization touches on a number of key points that are set out in the ‘HP Way’: Trust and respect for individuals whoever they are, whatever their role within the organization, they have an equal voice.”

Mr Drew highlighted HP diversity among its leadership and staff and said that flexible operating hours supported family life and other forms of creativity in the personal lives of employees.

“HP’s women’s networks were not set up to give anyone an advantage in the workplace based on their gender,” Mr Drew said. “Progression in the organization is based on performance and contribution to the work of the company, and a clear understanding of the HP Way and HP’s ethical integrity.” Mr Drew said that instead the networks were about maximizing the opportunity to have a voice to make a contribution, to create a platform for creativity and to develop a commitment to HP.

Speaking to a full room of attendees, Mr Drew said that the women’s network was also responsible for helping to break down existing boundaries between the organization’s departments and staff, which he said was not only leading to improved communications but was ultimately enriching the work conditions and environment of employees.

Explaining some of the reasons for his involvement with the HP women’s networks, Mr Drew said that as a manager of women within his own team, it would be foolish to ignore the enthusiasm and commitment demonstrated towards the initiative and said that the corporate security team contributed wherever it saw an opportunity to do so. “One of the areas where my team has been able to contribute is with travel and personal security advice. We asked ourselves are there particular risk factors that women in a commercial environment face, that men don’t”.

Attending the event, ICC Secretary General John Danilovich thanked Mr Drew for his inspiring presentation that he said had led him to consider ICC’s own safety policies.

Established by staff in 2013, WBW considers ways to address gender balance and equality at ICC global headquarters and throughout its representative bodies made up of external appointees and experts. Mr Drew’s presentation was the third in a series of regular speaker lunch sessions, organized by the WBW steering committee.